The discussion revolves around the inefficiencies of certain feed readers that do not implement the 'If-Modified-Since' HTTP header, leading to unnecessary data usage. Users argue that failing to recognize 304 Unmodified responses results in excessive traffic from repeated, identical requests. Comments highlight that a 20-minute retry rate can create up to 72 unnecessary requests per day, causing a waste of bandwidth. Some commenters question the definition of 'waste' in the context of data, while others express concern over data loss if a reader crashes after the first request. The conversation also critiques the general neglect of HTTP protocol standards, indicating a decline in proper understanding and implementation in modern software development.